Blog Carnival 101

Lately I’ve gotten a few emails asking me what exactly are these blog carnivals I keep mentioning in my blog.

It’s easy! A blog carnival is a post on someone’s blog that consists of descriptions and links to posts at other blogs. There's always a subject theme (ex. the subject of the Carnival of Homeschooling is homeschooling) and most of the time, the carnival itself has a theme that it’s structured around.

For example, this week’s edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling has the theme of the 12 Labors of Hercules (homeschoolers are a well-read bunch, but you probably already knew that!) So the hosts of the blog carnival have cleverly arranged the posts around this theme.

The beauty of a blog carnival is that it connects you with others who share a common interest with you. In the case of the Carnival of Homeschooling, you get to peek into the lives of others to see what their families are like, how they homeschool, what their children are learning, what they’re learning from their children, etc.

For the newer homeschooling parent, this will help you feel that you’re not the only one out there living this wonderful and challenging lifestyle, because you’re definitely not! For the more experienced homeschooler, the Carnival of Homeschooling offers an opportunity to widen your sphere of friends while also sharing the wisdom you’ve gained from your years of homeschooling.

For bloggers, participating in the carnival means exposing their blog to a larger audience than just their friends, relatives and the people who happen to find them by clicking the “Random Blog” or “Next Blog” button.

So, if you’re new to the concept of blog carnivals, why not jump in right now? Head on over to the carnival, read the posts, leave a comment if you’re feeling really adventurous, and just enjoy yourself. Everyone is welcome at the Carnival of Homeschooling.

And if you have time for any other interests beyond homeschooling (!), you might also want to visit blog carnivals about other subjects. Here’s a site that will help you do that.